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Miranda House celebrates Leirang, 2017: the annual North East fest

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The second edition of the annual North East fest at Miranda House, Leirang 2017: exploring culture, diversity and development was held on 27th February with high spirits

Miranda House’s North East Cell celebrated the second edition of their annual North East Fest, Leirang on 27th February. The theme for the fest this was ‘Exploring culture, diversity and development’ and was attended by students from all over Delhi University.  The festival started off with high spirits as the students welcomed guests Dr. Najma A. Heptullah, governor of Manipur and Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director of Institue of Bio resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD). The guests went on to inaugurate the IBSD centre for North East studies in Miranda House, followed by an interactive exhibition which displayed the culture, geography, flora, fauna and art of the North Eastern States.

Following the inauguration and exhibition, the cultural program began with keynote addresses by Dr. Pratibha Jolly, principal of Miranda House, Dr. Najma A. Heptullah and Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo. These addresses emphasized on the glory of the North Eastern culture and how all students must take pride in the diversity which exists within these states. To throw further light upon the culture of North East, a fun filled cultural programme was organised which consisted Manipuri Leima Fusion, a Mizo song, Ras Leela, a Meghalayan song, Zelianrong Naga Dance, a Gangte Folk Song, Jhumoor dance, an Assamese song, Nepali dance, an Assamese poetry recitation and the most awaited, Mizo bamboo dance.

Other highlights and attractions of Leirang included a photo exhibition portraying many visuals of the North East, a tradition costume stall, where you could go and get a picture clicked in the traditional dresses of various north eastern states. The most exciting part was the food stalls which boasted authentic cuisine of various north eastern states. The fest was enjoyed by all its attendees, and brought in a feeling of pride and integration amongst all hearts.

 

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

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Spo(r)tlight

EFL Cup victory for the Red Devils: Manchester United beats Southampton 3-2 at Wembley

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In what was a brilliant display of the individual charisma of the super-manager Jose Mourinho and Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the red devils sealed their first major trophy this season.

The new chapter in the managerial stint of Jose Mourinho reached its maiden crescendo as Manchester United defeated Southampton 3 goals to 2 to win the EFL cup at Wembley Stadium this Sunday. The Red Devils, in spite of being dominated by the Saints for most part of the game, emerged victorious, thanks to the Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s brace and Lingard’s strike.

Ibrahimovic opened up the scoring chart as he netted a beautiful free-kick into the corner just after 19 minutes of the game, scoring his 25th goal this season. At 38 minutes, Lingard extended the ManU lead to two to nil as he slotted the Rojo pass elegantly in the bottom corner of the net from 16 yards. In no time the Saints got their well deserved goals as Gabbiadini found the net on the either halves at 45th and again at 48th minute to level the match. Finally, it was the talisman in Zlatan who broke the deadlock in the 87th minutes, standing tall above all and powering his header past Forster from six yards to seal United’s first silverware this season.

At the end of the night, it was loud and clear that the Southampton side were better of the two. They defended deep and attacked with all might. In spite of being denied a legitimate goal which clearly wasn’t an offside, Manolo Gabbiadini and company played a complete game, neutralising the United’s defence multiple times over the 90 mintues. Even Mourinho, addressing the press post-match, agreed that had the game gone into the extra time, the results could have been different. But what made Manchester United the champion was the resilience which the Mourinho-Ibrahimovic era has ushered into the team.

This wasn’t a game that Moyes or Van Gaal, or for that reason, Van Persie or Rooney could have won. This needed personal heroics, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, champion, winner and all-round hero, gave United just that as he lifted the 32nd trophy of his illustrious career and the maiden silverware at Old Trafford. Way to go!

 

Nikhil Kumar
[email protected]

 

Image credits: ibtimes.co.in

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Campus Central

Students, Teachers and politicians join in thousands to protest against ABVP’s Hooliganism

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After a peaceful weekend, the Ramjas row has refused to bow down with marches and counter marches. Today, however, was a different day altogether in the campus. A historic march consisting of over a thousand students, teachers and politicians started from SGTB Khalsa College and culminated at Arts Faculty. Students and teachers from colleges across University of Delhi, Jamia Millia, JNU joined in huge numbers to protest against the hooliganism that was allegedly perpetrated by ABVP karyakartas on 22nd February at Ramjas College. The march – which was called ‘Save DU’ – garnered many students who were first-time protesters.

Teachers come out in support

Teacher associations also came out in large numbers to support their students who were protesting for their right to expression and dissent. Teachers from Delhi University Teachers Association(DUTA), JNU Teachers Association(JNUTA), Ambedkar University and Jamia joined the march. Rajni Parliwala who teaches sociology at DSE said, “This a response from students and teachers to people who try to dictate to us what to speak, what we eat, what we listen to and what we say.”

Abha Dev Habib, a teacher at Miranda House college and member of executive council of DUTA said “Here, students from colleges and universities have gathered to protest against forces trying to dictate what type of seminars can be done and what cannot take place.”

Politicians and Academics throw their weight behind students

The march was also attended by Yogendra Yadav, chief of Swaraj India. Even Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of CPI-M and D. Raja, Rajya Sabha Member from Kerala addressed the students. “RSS wants to impose its ideas on everyone,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jean Dreze a famous researcher of development economics who also attended the seminar said, “I am here to support freedom of expression. If there is no freedom of expression then there is no democracy.”

Student leaders from other universities join the march 

The protest march was also joined by Kanhaiya Kumar and Shehla Rashid from JNU. Kanhaiya who spoke about maintaining peace and non-violence in campuses highlighted that ABVP has no right to engage in violence. He also said that the trend of violence by ABVP in campuses across India is at attempt to saffronize the campuses across the country.

Candle March by NSUI

In the evening, another march was organised by NSUI, the student wing Congress Party, which started from Arts Faculty and ended at Maurice Nagar police station. Students with posters of peace, candles and cut outs of Mahatma Gandhi protested in order to maintain peace in the campus.

Heavy Police Bandobast

After being on the line of fire for its mishandling of affairs on 22nd February, the police was on its toes to ensure security and safety of the march. With senior IPS officers monitoring the march and ensuring the safety and security of the protesters.
Attacks by ABVP activists reported

There were some reports and videos that surfaced where ABVP activists where seen to be attacking students who were returning from protests with belts and stones. Their attack was immediately controlled by police personnel present around. An FIR has been registered and the two ABVP activists have been arrested for the same.

 

Among thousands of voices as this author scanned for reasons for which protestor joined the march he found while some had come to protest against vandalism, some wanted to stand for free speech, some came to support Gurmehar Kaur (a student of LSR, who was given rape threats on social media), some came to get their voices heard. Irrespective of various causes that brought the protestors to the march, they all stood, walked, shouted slogans and protested together to express their right to dissent.

 

Srivedant Kar

[email protected]

Feature Image credits: Prateek Singh for DU Beat

 

DU Beat stands strongly for freedom of speech and expression. We condemn this type of attack on our academic spaces. Our classrooms are places where we can speak, discuss and debate on issues irrespective of the ideologies or backgrounds we come from. Violence has no place in our academic spaces.

 

 

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DUB Speak

THE ACADEMY AWARDS 2017: Of legendary victories and appalling gaffes

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This year’s Oscars consisted of many moments that will have echoing ramifications for the cinematic world. The black achiever; an esoteric movie like Moonlight winning the best motion picture; and then Casey Affleck, Viola Davis and Kevin O’ Connell taking home the statutte proved that the Academy Awards of 2017 were clearly in honour of the fools who dream.

There is always something extraordinary about the Academy Awards. They speak of impeccable tales woven into the golden fabrics of genuine emotions and the glorious culmination of years of perseverance. They always have a brilliant mastery over nuances, maintaining that exactitude of predictability and surprise which all come together and crown the golden lady as the greatest award on the planet.

Here we are with a list of every brilliant tale which made the 89th Academy Award the most enduring of all:

1.Jimmy Kimmel

Oscar hosts have always tried to do something out of the box. Remember Neil Patrick Harris’s stunts and Chris Rock’s gaffe over the last two years? But not this time.
In sync with this year’s trend of having talk show giants hosting the award show, the Oscars had Jimmy Kimmel from ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’. Opening the show with the splashy performance of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t stop the feeling’, followed only by his signature monologue, appeal for unity, and the few well curated jokes now and then throughout the night, Kimmel ensured that he did what he wast best at. Whether he joked Mel Gibson, Matt Demon or Meryl Streep, he made sure to toe the line at all times.

2. The not-anymore-white Academy

Oscars 2017 shall well be remembered for the three winners from the black community it had. With Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali for Best Supporting Actor, Fences’ Viola Davis for Best Supporting Actress, Director-producer Ezra Edelman for Best Documentary Feature and Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney for Best Adapted Screenplay, it was well evident that the award is not all-white anymore. Cherry on the pudding was the fact that Mahershala Ali is the first person from the Muslim community to win the prize. Also noteworthy is Viola Davis becoming the first black woman to win an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony in her brilliant acting career. At the podium, she seemed to be heaving with emotion, almost out of breath, and yet her words were clear and her sentences deftly paced. When she made her observation with “You know, there’s one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered”, followed by a pause, and then the next line, “One place, and that’s the graveyard”, she quietly validated herself as one of the most deserving Oscar winners of all time.

3. A night of Moonlight

The tale of a poor black gay man simply surviving in the drug and poverty of Miami, an ordinary life of the sort that is portrayed so infrequently as to seem extraordinary, took the world by storm as it lunged ahead of the seemingly obvious winner La La Land and the gruelling reality and individual pain of Moonlight won over the dreamworld of La La Land. This small scale, individual film was not only a huge win for the black community, it was a major triumph for queer narratives in Hollywood. Being the first LGBTQ themed, all black film to win the Academy, the victory can be seen as Academy’s departure from the ‘winner takes it all’ era.

4. Not all rosy with La La Land

The city of stars did not shine just for La La Land as it became the first movie to not to win the award for the best picture in spite of as many as 14 nominations. All the same, Emma Stone was awarded best actress for her portrayal of Mia, winning over Natalie Portman and Meryl Streep. Damien Chaziel, aged only 32, emerged as the best director, and one of the youngest recipients of the golden statuette. The movie also won the awards for Best Original Score, Best Original Song and Cinematography. But what was heartbreaking was the fiasco at the podium when La La Land had almost won the best film award. As Vox later clarified, “The night’s biggest award — Best Picture — was handed to the wrong film, presumed front runner La La Land , because presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong envelope. It bore the name of La La Land’s Emma Stone, who had won Best Actress moments before. The three credited producers for La La Land were almost through their triumphant speeches — indeed, the third, Fred Berger , was in the middle of speaking — when producer Jordan Horowitz was forced to take the microphone and say the film had lost to Moonlight.”

5. O.J.: Made in America

Not only did this ESPN-produced project win the award for Best Documentary Featur, but with a running time of seven hours and 47 minutes, it became the longest work in history to win an Oscar. While La La Land declared a sense that musical comedies still possess magic, O.J.: Made in America made us believe in the beauty of long, yet meaningful films.

Nikhil Kumar
[email protected]

Image Crdits: digitalspy.com

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Campus Central

Gurmehar Kaur’s Social Media Campaign: Of Aspirations and Trolls

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The DU Student who began the ‘Students Against ABVP’ campaign has become the subject of memes and jokes online, after an old video resurfaced the social media.

The events of 21st and 22nd February, 2017, have sparked a fire in hearts of students and teachers who had been directly, and indirectly, wronged. The source of this fire can be traced back to the events in Ramjas College, University of Delhi, where the English Department had organised a two-day seminar on ‘Cultures of Protest,’ inviting Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid Shora. The former speaker, Khalid, was to give a segment on “The War in Adivasi Area,” a session which could not be transcended to reality due to safety concerns. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) disrupted the conference with violence soon after, for the two JNU speakers were the “anti-national element” in the campus which could not be permitted to deliver. A peaceful protest broke out the same day and the next to stand against the viciousness of ABVP which targeted teachers and students alike.

As the varsity split into chaos and patriot wars, a student of Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, Gurmehar Kaur had to give way to her stifled voice. The brutal attacks on her friends and the incessant supply of rape threats to the protestors demanded an action out of her; one which would be joined by students all across the campus. With a caption on a placard reading, “I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me. #StudentsAgainstABVP,” the social media campaign against ‘ABVP’s hooliganism’ garnered recognition and support from all corners. The domino effect had begun; people changed their display pictures on Facebook with a similar caption in protest of the violence propagated by the student-wing. As ideal and effective the internet space is desired by us, it also paves the way to brute remarks and threats of extreme degree. What thus began was not an exchange of dialogue to facilitate debate and discussion of ‘ideologies,’ but far from it, a cycle of online trolling attacking all individual aspects to deter spirits.

Gurmehar Kaur is the daughter of a Kargil martyr and had previously posted a video on social media alluding to the ideals of war and the stereotypes against Muslims and Pakistan, commenting, “Pakistan did not kill my father. War did.” The objective of the video was to accentuate the notions of peace between the two countries and highlight her struggle after her father’s death. A brief statement in an otherwise lengthy video, this became the foundation for online bullying. Memes and jokes relating Kaur to the likes of Dawood Ibrahim began to surface on the internet. The comparison was brought forward by a BJP MP, Pratap Simha, who along with other ministers claimed that the young mind is being manipulated by a political propaganda and are mere ‘pawns.’ This was escalated by the former cricketer Virender Sehwag’s picture with the caption, “I didn’t score two triple centuries, my bat did” and was supported by the actor, Randeep Hooda with a comment on Twitter.

Wrestler Babita Phougat joined in when Rana Ayyub urged her to take a stand for Kaur, she responded by saying, “Is it right to talk in favour of someone who doesn’t favour her own nation?”

On February 28th, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt added fuel to the mockery by posting a meme which seeks to draw an analogy between Kaur’s post, a black buck, Adolf Hitler, and Osama Bin Laden.

In a country which harbours an overwhelming fascination towards the members of the acting and sports fraternity, a mockery from these sects would be resonated by a large section of the society which idealises these entities. The posting of the picture and sharing memes reduce the message of Kaur’s campaign which demands freedom of speech and shifts the onus to an India-Pakistan nationalist debate, making her susceptible to social media abuse and other serious ramifications. Kaur has been receiving increasing rape threats since, as if the rhetoric of threatening rape is synonymous to the degree of divergence. She had filed a FIR with the police and brought her concerns forward to the Delhi Commission for Women.

After days of receiving flak, being termed as an anti-nationalist, and being on the receiving end of inhumane threats, Kaur has withdrawn from the campaign after a post on Facebook saying that “the campaign was never about me but the students,” and “To anyone questioning my courage and bravery, I have shown enough.” The 20-year college student began this campaign with a simple idea of standing against the injustice faced by the college fraternity and has successfully propagated a message of solidarity.

 

Saumya Kalia
[email protected]

 

Image credits: Indian Express

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Arts & Culture

Frenzy at Delhi Technological University’s fashion show

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To win lauds during the fests is the reason why various societies, as well as the Organising Committees invest months of hard work and dedication in preparation, but all these efforts can turn futile if there is a tiff between the participants and the organisers. The latest case in point is Engifest – an annual three day extravangza organised by Delhi Technological University (DTU).

While a look at the Facebook page of Engifest boasts of successful completion, the testimonies of the participants of Pradhan – fashion show completion says otherwise.

Unacceptable Delay

All the participating teams were asked to report at 1pm as the show was to begin at 3:30, however due to the mismanagement of the organisers, it commenced at 5:30 pm. To make the matters worse a sponsored event “Campus Princess” was added in between the ongoing competition which went on for 1 hour. Later in the day, Paridhan was again interrupted with the performance by Lagori Band. All these additional activities stretched the competition till late at night and this caused many teams to back out. Clearly, preference was given to other things besides the “cordially invited” teams.

Tanisha, President of Galore, fashion society of Maitreyi College said, “The organisers told the remaining teams that the show will resume only after the band gives their whole performance as a result of which all the performers had to wait for another couple of hours. Maitreyi is an all-girls college. We told DTU’s coordinators that it’ll be tough for us to travel back alone after 9 PM, but no solution came to action.”
No Green rooms, arbitrary slot allotment and technical glitches

The very basic requirement of a green room to change into outfits, set hair-makeup and props is a must, but Delhi Technological University failed in providing that too. Sanya Sood, President of Poise – fashion society of Indian Institute of Home Economics affirms that, “There were no green rooms. Being an all-girls team we asked for a proper room, but weren’t given any. We’ve never faced this kind of treatment before.”

Somehow the participants got ready and started with their performance, only to encounter another problem: the essential spotlights and the audio won’t work. “There was no lightning during our performance and no volume during our voiceover”, Hitesh from Finesse – The Fashion Society of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies deplored.

Sarthak Kathuria, President of IVogue, fashion society of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce resonated the same sentiment, “We were performing when the music stopped, we waited on stage hoping that someone would fix the technical glitch, but no avail. Meanwhile the indecent elements in the crowd started passing lewd comments. After a point it became unbearable and we had to get off the stage.”

Distasteful delinquencies

Inconvenience is one thing, but disrespect is a whole new deal altogether. Everyone can deal with minor disruptions, but when organisers pretend that nothing is going wrong that’s when the situation becomes problematic.
When the DTU management announced that the fashion show has been postponed to accommodate the performance by Lagori Band, the participating teams rebelled against this decision. Within seconds a heated arguments flared up. The remaining teams agreed not to perform and asked the DTU coordinators for a public apology and compensation by dividing the cash prize.

Tanisha Sharma, President of Galore, fashion society of Maitreyi College alleged that, “The Professor and the coordinators didn’t listen to a word we said. Instead they made fun of our situation and also threatened us to leave the college premises. What’s more deplorable is that one coordinator who was drunk offered money to our participant and misbehaved.”

Sarthak Kathuria, President of IVogue, fashion society of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce conceded by adding that, “Harsh Kapoor, a member of our group was threatened while defending Kunica, a participant from Maitreyi College.”

In defense of DTU

Talking to DU Beat, the Cultural Council of DTU maintained that the allegations of misbehavior are false and baseless. Responding to the accusations of not providing green rooms and addressing technical glitches, they asserted that, “There was no compromise with lights. Only a minor power failure occurred during the performance of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce. We tried our best to fix the glitch as soon as possible, but decision to stop the performance midway was made by the IVogue at their own discretion.”

DTU did admit that the allocation of the green rooms did take some time, but reasoned by saying, “We had to look for new rooms because the portable green rooms became inhabitable due to heat. Finally the teams were allotted air conditioned classrooms in the electrical block.” They also added that the fashion show was delayed as a result of two factors – teams arriving late and green rooms getting shifted.

In this situation where there are equally convincing and conflicting narratives, it not just hard but almost impossible to conclude which side is at the fault. When college fests are increasingly becoming all about star nights, it is often that the concerns of participating teams are trivialized. On the other hand, the participants do not take cognizance of the ceaseless and pressure the over-worked organizers face or make vexatious demands.
Ideally, there should a mutual understanding between both the parties and judging by this incident we can tell that the absence of understanding turns fests into a regrettable experience.

Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

Image credits: Enigfest, DTU (Facebook Page)

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Arts & Culture

5 hacks to watch the movies on the cheap

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As college students, we are all familiar with the phenomenon of being forever broke and with great movie releases ahead of us (Yes, it is The Lego Batman movie I talk of), we present to you – hacks that allow you to enjoy these films without burning a hole in your pocket.

 

  1. Make Use of Those Apps– Popular apps like Paytm and BookMyShow offer huge discounts, even on new releases. Sounds too good to be true, but check out deals like 50% cashback on ticket fare or 100% cashback on convenience fee and the best part, the greater the number of bookings, the bigger the discount!

 

  1. Do Your Research– Most of us tend to book tickets at the same halls that we’ve been going to for decades – it’s time to shake things up! Try independent theatres that have a smaller number of screens- 3CS in Lajpat Nagar, DT Cinemas in GK-2 , Golcha Cinemas next to Chawri Baazar or even Regal in CP that offer tickets at under 200. Multiplexes having movie halls with multiple screens always charge a greater fee and what’s more, you’ll even discover a new hangout spot while you’re at it.

 

  1. Choose Your Time Wisely– We often prefer evening shows but guess what, there’s a reason why they say that ‘the early bird catches the worm.’ Morning shows are available at half the price, even at pricier theatres like PVR and DT in Saket. For all those who love the luxurious experience, early shows are the answer to your prayers.

 

  1. Lay Off the Snacking– It’s a universal truth that no movie is complete without something to munch on-but I regret to inform you, you’ve got to pick between the popcorn and nachos – after all we can’t have it all. A tip: popcorn is a better option as it’s cheaper and the quantity is worth the money, nachos on the other hand are expensive and finish before you know it. However, for those who can’t keep their hands off, invest in combo deals that are more economical in nature, because we live to eat, right?

 

  1. Use Credit Card Perks– Your credit card could act as a discount pass when you want to see the latest blockbuster. Most cards offer member perks, some of which can be discounts at the movie theater. What’s more, some cards including More offer as much as 5% cash back on various purchases in rotating categories. Each company’s cash back calendar is different, so check your service agreement to see if you’ll get cash back at the movies during the year. That way, you’ll get a little extra padding in your bank account just for seeing the latest action flick.

 

Anahita Sahu
[email protected]

 

Image credits: GettyImages

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Sex Amma

Sex Amma: Dealing with low sex drive?

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Sex Amma

Ques: Hey Amma! Me and boyfriend have been together for a long time now, but lately I don’t enjoy the sex as much as I used to, and I don’t feel like doing it but I don’t know how to tell my boyfriend.

Hey, you little macchi, don’t you fret about this too much; Amma is here to help you out! Having a low sex drive is completely normal and can happen to anyone, due to various reasons. Depression, anxiety (or other mental illnesses), low self esteem and stress can be some of the reasons a person feels this way. Other serious reason could be a history of physical abuse.Bouncy castle for sale

Whatever the reason might be, talking to your partner about it is the best solution. Amma knows it is very tough for you idlis and dosas to talk about sex, and especially when it is not going well, but it is important that you and your partner are on the same page. If you are not comfortable talking to your partner at first, then you can talk to a friend or a counsellor. A third person’s perspective may help you realise where the problem lies, and you can start working on it. But, make sure that you don’t hide it from your partner for too long because he needs to know too, right macchi? Don’t be shy about talking about your likes and dislikes with your partner. Amma knows that only communication will help you two little macchis get clarity about what you want (or not want) in bed.

Aiyyo my dear, other than talking about it, leading a healthy life will result in a healthy sex life. Amma will suggest that eating right and exercising regularly can help you to get your libido back and let huge amounts of endorphin into your system. Taking some time off from your packed schedule of classes and internships for a mini vacation or a fancy date can also help you idlis bring the spark back, as well. You macchis can also try spicing up the curry with some help from role-play and dirty-talk!

Whatever you do my darling puttu, don’t beat yourself over this and remember: it is normal to feel this way!

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Campus Central

The difference in college infrastructure: Arts vs. Science

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Is college infrastructure being differentiated on the basis of courses?

We often experience the moment wherein our parents come to us at the end of 10th standard, and try to reason over why we should opt for the sciences in our last 2 years of schooling. For the lot of us who are confident enough to pursue our love for arts and social sciences assure our parents that after class 12, the gates of University of Delhi is open to us. But does the University of Delhi differentiate between the student’s needs on the basis of which course they choose to pursue?

After a short research conducted in a few colleges in Delhi University, it seems that a lot of colleges in terms of infrastructure have disappointed its students. For a few colleges, the students frown upon the overall infrastructure of their campuses. However, a few colleges are skeptical about the difference between the science and arts faculties in terms of facilities. A lot of colleges have been revamping their campuses due to the NAAC assessment, but there is a lingering doubt over whether these developments will remain intact after the NAAC team leaves the college premises. When in conversation with Riya Chhiber, a third-year student at Kamala Nehru College, it was reiterated that, “The entire campus has been changed and improved for the NAAC assessment, due to which washrooms are cleaner, seminar halls are constructed and general provisions in terms of electricity and cleanliness have been made better. However, whether these conditions will remain throughout has not been determined.” Similarly, colleges like Kirori Mal and Jesus and Mary College are constantly under renovation, due to which there is constant and disturbing air of construction during and after college hours.

Premiere colleges like Miranda House and St. Stephens have seen a difference in terms of infrastructure between the sciences and the arts. In conversation with students from Miranda House, who wish to remain anonymous, have placed immense emphasis on how the science block of the college has better facilities in terms of washrooms, classrooms and general atmosphere. They seemed to accept the fact that the science block does have a requirement of state of the art labs; however they do not understand the bias in terms of how the science block has better classrooms than the arts block. They also commented on the presence of air conditioning in many classrooms in the science block, whereas the arts block barely survives on over head fans in the sweltering heat. Similarly, in conversation with students from St. Stephen’s (who wish to remain anonymous), said that the science faculty has ‘lecture halls’ which are more spacious and ventilated, in comparison to the arts faculty, which have regular classrooms. However, we see a flipside to this case when in conversation with T. Chettri, a third-year student from Ramjas College, who says, “The new building which has been constructed in Ramjas, has top-notch classrooms for all students from all courses. Despite the subject and discourse, students of DU have equality in terms of the spaces they occupy in order to learn”. The new developments in Ramjas College shows how DU is changing and creating equal spaces in infrastructure for students across disciplines, a development we hope to see in all DU colleges despite the scrutiny of NAAC’s assessment.

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

Image credits: Daily Mail

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Fashion

The Spring 2017 Style Guide

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With the onset of spring, comes the dilemma of deciding what to wear. And with stores flooding with garments for the season, picking the right one for the right occasion according to the breezy, pleasant weather makes the head spin! But fret not – here’s our guide to making your spring festivities all the more classy, fun and easy.

 

  1. Don’t let the dark rule!

Winters have been our dark times (not too literally, though!) and after months of packing the wardrobe with dark tones, like greys and browns, it’s time to push them aside to let in the brightness of this season. Pick up garments with brighter basic colours like ivory and lime yellow or pastels like lilac or peach. Or, pep up your look with colourful and bright accessories in single or multi colours.

  1. Ditch the denims

Denims have been our loyal mates who work the year round to make our life easy and comfy, but it is time to ditch the thick fabric for more comfortable and breathable stuff. Pick up some vibrant bottoms instead of the basic blue denims, and team them up with your favourite dark or bright shades (because we know that you can’t get enough of the black)!

  1. Let the bold prints out

Welcome the season with bold prints and show off a bold style statement, or try patterned prints over solid pastel colours, but make sure to wear those that complement your individual style statement. The best part about wearing prints is that they are apt for all occasions, casual or formal. All that needs to be taken care of is the fabric used, as different fabrics allow the print to make different statements.

  1. Keep it experimental yet easy

The most crucial part of the styling journey is keeping it easy. While carrying any outfit, what matters the most is that how confidently one does it, and this is possible only by picking garments that keep you easy and comfortable. However flooded the stores may be with bohemian clothing, pick only those that wouldn’t feel even the least bit uncomfortable. But this mustn’t stop you from being experimental this spring! Experiment with colours, with footwears, bags or accessories, or try different hairdos while ditching your regular go-to options.

 

Here’s the style guide for this spring, so that you break away from the cozy warm winter clothing with a punch of hue and brightness.

 

Priyal Mahtta

[email protected]

 

Image credits: capitolhillhotel-dc.com

 

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